What Are the Colors of Karate Belts in Order of Achievements? | Healthy Living - azcentral.com What Are the Colors of Karate Belts in Order of Achievements? by Rob Harris Share on Facebook The color of karate belts signify the student's level of expertise in martial arts. The color of the belts gets progressively darker as the student gains karate skills -- mental and physical ones -- until the student earns a black belt. Karate is as much about mental discipline as physical prowess, so there is more than proper form to consider when moving up to the next belt color. Beginner When students begin studying karate, they wear a white belt to signify their beginner status. White belt students learn the basic karate skills, most of which are designed to enforce mental discipline. When they move on to a yellow belt, they must master the 10 beginner self-defense techniques before moving on to an orange belt. After students earn an orange belt, they begin to focus more on physical conditioning and perfecting a few offensive moves. Intermediate Green belt students learn more in-depth karate techniques and skills before moving on to blue belts. This level requires the student to master nearly 200 karate techniques.

Once this is achieved, the student can earn his brown belt, which is often broken up into stages. The student starts as a third-degree brown belt and works up to first-degree brown belt before advancing to the next belt color. As a brown belt, a student is expected to know all the basic techniques of karate and to have strong mental discipline and control. Advanced The black belt is the most advanced belt in karate. However, it doesn't mean the student is a master of the art. Instead, earning a black belt signifies the student is ready for more advanced training. There are several degrees of black belt. These degrees are also denoted by a "dan" level. For example, when you first achieve a black belt, you are considered a shodan. Other Belt Colors Belt colors vary between karate schools, although the basic achievement colors of white, brown and black usually stay the same. Some add different belt colors, such as red or purple, in between the traditional colors. Others include stripes or tips on the belts. For example, a white belt with a yellow tip means a student has completed part of the yellow belt training. The stripes on a brown belt often denote the degree of the belt.

References This Is What The Different Colors Of Karate Belts Actually Mean Your Post Has Been Launched! Fabulous! Don't forget to share with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. This Is What The Different Colors Of Karate Belts Actually Mean Remember, no matter what karate belt you wear, you’re still wearing glorified pajamas. Kimberly / Creative Commons / Via Flickr: kohlerfolk What You Think Your Belt Means: This is the beginning of your journey of self-discovery that will test the limits of your mind, body, and spirit. Your belt is white because you are a blank slate, ready to be molded into a lean, mean fighting machine. What Your Belt Actually Means: Your pants won’t fall and your uniform won’t flap open while training. Wearing a white belt means you have the strength to pull off some sort of knot. ID: 3301479 instagram.com / Via Instagram: @felipeagalvao What You Think Your Belt Means: I have all the basic punches, kicks, and blocks down. I’m ready to spar!

What Your Belt Actually Means: You’re still everyone’s punching bag and the only reason why nobody wailed on you when you were a white belt was because you were too low on the food chain to care. ID: 3301499 instagram.com / Via Instagram: @alessandraabriani What You Think Your Belt Means: I can defend myself against the average person on the street. What Your Belt Actually Means: I can defend myself against anyone wearing a karate uniform with a flashy orange belt. ID: 3301532 Sally / Creative Commons / Via Flickr: quiltsalad What You Think Your Belt Means: You can break a plank of wood in half with a roundhouse kick. What Your Belt Actually Means:You can break a plank of wood with a roundhouse “tap” while your sensei snaps it in half to make it look like you’re a force to be reckoned with. ID: 3301519 topranksport.co.uk What You Think Your Belt Means: Ample sparring experience and body conditioning has made you a perfect contender for the local tournament.

What Your Belt Actually Means: In every fight, it’s your duty to suppress the urge to say “fatality” after winning a match. ID: 3301582 instagram.com / Via Instagram: @marielabarroco What You Think Your Belt Means: You now have the knowledge and skills to start learning Ryu’s move set from Street Fighter IV. What Your Belt Actually Means: If you tell your sensei what you think your belt means, he’ll just sarcastically yell, “Sureeee, you can!” Which will sound an awful lot like ‘Shoryuken!’. Is that a yes? ID: 3301614 wordpress.com What You Think Your Belt Means: The sensei will start training you in the ancient art of Japanese weaponry. What Your Belt Actually Means: Your face is well acquainted with both ends of the nunchuk by now. ID: 3301622 View this image › Image Credit: Tallahassee Karate / Via tallahasseekarate.com What You Think Your Belt Means: You’re one belt away from becoming a Black Belt. You’re practically a master already.

You’re probably looking at some real estate to open your own sweet dojo. What Your Belt Actually Means: You’ve paid too much for this to stop now and not get your black belt. You have the entire rainbow of cotton belts to prove it too. ID: 3308941 All-Karate.com - History of karate belt colors History of karate belt colors Karate quiz History of the Karate Belt Colors Japanese Judo was the first martial art to introduce the colored belt ranking system as a visible indication of the students’ progress. The colored belt ranking system soon was adapted for Karate, and was first used by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi and his Shotokan Karate schools. Click here to learn about the Goju-Ryu Karate belt ranking system . As students pass through the ranks taking grading examinations they are awarded with different colored belts. The color order and which colors are used varies from school to school, as does the relationship between belt color and rank (= Kyu). However the Kyu or number/rank always starts at 10 and ends at 1. Black belts ranks then increase normally, from 1st Dan to 10th Dan.

In most Karate schools beginners are automatically considered a 10th Kyu (wearing a white belt). Some schools are known to grade beginners for their 10th Kyu, which may have its reason in being able to collect an extra grading fee. In fact, I remember when I had my first grading for 10th Kyu. I had to demonstrate that I could punch and yell (the famous Ki-Ai!) at the same time. That was in Germany. As a reward, I could continue to wear my white belt, BUT I received a pretty grading book and a stamp. Very efficient and organized! :-) Today most Karate students buy a new belt after they have been awarded a higher kyu and thus require a differently colored belt. Most people have no more use for their old belts and may give it to junior club members for free. It is definitely worth enquiring. Colored belts and how they came to be In the old days the white belt was simply dyed to a new color. This repeated dying process dictates the type of belt color and the order of the colors!. The standard belt color system is white, yellow, green, brown, and black.

In some Karate school and styles, the color order is white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, black. Due to the dying process, it is practical to increasingly use darker colors. All of this came about shortly after the second world war, when Japan was a very poor country, and dying the belts to a new color was a cheap way to have a visible, simple and effective ranking system. The dying of the belts became part of the Karate tradition and was also adapted in other countries. In Australia, Sensei Terry Lyon of Lyon-Karate.com reports that in the early 70s, Australian Karate students also dyed their belts to their new color. The “White-Belt-Getting-Dirtier” Theory Another explanation for the colored belts, that appears more like a Karate myth than reality, is the notion that the belts simply went from white to black because the original Karate founders never washed their belts. They started off with white belts and after years of training ended up with black belts. The proponents of this theory assert that the belt, which was initially white, gets gradually dirtier and dirtier and so goes from white to yellow to green to brown to black in that way.

Many people argue that this theory is cute but has little truth. The dirtiest belt will never go black, and although the color change from white to yellow to brown can easily be imagined, other colors like green would be harder to achieve, unless the belt is host to a culture of particularly nasty and colorful bacteria, not unlike those that live in the back of my fridge. (Not to worry, I finally cleaned out the green goo. One day, from the corner of my eye, I saw it move. Now THAT was too much). Repeated sweat and dirt from the typically wooden floors can indeed make the whole Gi become yellow and eventually brown. However, it is pretty tough to actually get a significant amount of sweat into the belt, which is more evidence against the “White-Belt-Getting-Dirtier” theory. Last 10 forum posts: There is also real evidence FOR this theory. Many Karate dojos in Japan have a change room where students are able to leave their Gi ready for when they return to train again. As a consequence they don’t get washed and end up very dirty and smelly(!) with sometimes years of not being washed. These Gi go through the same color change as the colored belts.

This practice might have been born from either laziness, cost-cutting, and perhaps also a bit of male machoism. After all, an old and dirty Gi must mean that its owner has used it a lot, and thus must be highly skilled. In that sense, the yellow/brown Gi functions exactly like a colored belt! In summary – maybe the colored belt system was created with the color change of dirty Gi in mind. But maybe the colored belt system was just well thought-out and used because dying the belts was a simple, cheap and effective way of displaying rank! Karate Belts Karate Belts Karate Belts? What colour are you? "It is not what you wear ..... its what you do" - Master Chen When the white belt becomes dirty and discoloured by years of hard training it turns to black, then after more years of dedicated practice the “dirty” belt becomes frayed. The white cotton stitching is revealed thus returning the black belt to white and symbolising that however great the master there is always more to learn. It’s a popular and romantic view but opinions about the value of karate belts are mixed. I have had the great pleasure to practice with a truly authentic Grandmaster, Chen Xiaowang.

Although not specifically referring to karate belts, Master Chen made the point that your value as a martial artist was not determined by the colour of a piece of cloth. The need to have a visual signpost illustrating the student’s current point along their karate path seems to have had its roots in the early 1930’s. Many believe that Gichin Funakoshi the founder of modern karate was instructed to adopt the judo approach to rank if he wanted karate to be accepted as a main stream Japanese martial art. Funakoshi agreed and the coloured karate belt system was introduced. Today there are as many coloured karate belt systems as there are colours in the rainbow. Our dojo adopts a basic primary colour system. Manufacturing improvements have resulted in not just bold primary coloured belt designs but also multi coloured striped belts, chequered belts and two tone belts. So why the differences? There appear to be two main schools of thought. The first believes that the novice student should wear a white belt until when they are considered good enough to wear the coveted black belt. Variations on this approach have resulted in some groups adopting an intermediary grade of brown belt before black.

The other more widespread view accepts that there is at least some value in having a coloured belt grading system. The precise colours of the belt vary from group to group but generally begin with white moving through to a black belt via six or seven other colours. What are the benefits? Personally, I subscribe to Master Chens’ view but I recognise there is value in an overt ranking structure coloured belt system. Recently a mature student at my club successful after an assessment received a new karate belt. She remarked that it was the first time since leaving school that she had ever been publicly recognised for any type of achievement. She went onto explain that this recognition had raised her sense of self worth and had profoundly impacted on her long standing acceptance that she would never achieve anything. This may sound extreme but this type of acknowledgment resonates on some level with many ordinary people. When I talk about ordinary people I don’t mean to sound disparaging but I refer to the type of person who is never going to be an Olympic athlete, the silent majority who have to put family or work first before embarking on any physical challenge. The setting of achievable goals or objectives is important for many people. These sign posts along the path to karate mastery can be a powerful motivator for the student.

Of course like most things there is a darker side. Jealousy and desire linked to ambition and the acquisition of power can unfortunately result in a misuse of the belt ranking system. Some clubs are run by professional instructors whose income is linked directly to student numbers. The subsequent use of coloured belt awards as rewards is not, in my opinion a reason to grade a person. I have seen many such instructors unfortunately influenced by the likelihood of the student leaving if not awarded their new belt. For those leaders the temptation to reward and therefore retain the student must be a constant challenge. Instructors, group leaders and those with this responsibility should also be alive to the impact promotion of a student to a new rank can have on the micro culture found in karate clubs. On balance if managed correctly with integrity and appropriate value, the coloured karate belt system allows students to set meaningful goals and allows instructors and leaders to plan lessons more effectively and provides many students with a sense of context. Keeping this perspective helps encourage achievement with challenge and healthy competition but at the end of the day a belt is just something to keep you trousers up!

Karate Belts Colors in Order and Their Meanings - EnkiVillage How to Tie a Karate Belt In the realm of martial arts, the karate belts and their colors play a significant role for determining the expertise of the skilled men and women. Since every skill has a ranking of its own, karate exhibits its ranks in terms of colors associated to the level of their expertise. The most generic karate belt colors are white and black. White is the symbol of a beginner, depicting the lowest rank. While black is the symbol of a true expert, but there’s more to this issue. Meaning of Karate Belts Color The belt colors in karate hold a significant vale for the practitioners, and for the general public as well. When a person is wearing the karate belt of any color, people are perceiving that the belt wearer has taken up the specific philosophy and significant function of martial arts, and thrives to undertake the challenges of acquiring expertise. Even though the person is wearing a white belt, it does not signify his inexperience in the field, but it represents the initiation of his personal drive to acquiring that expertise.

Other than white and black, the colors of karate belts are yellow, orange, red, green, blue, purple and brown. Schools may or may not use all of the colors for karate belts. Karate Belt Colors, Corresponding Levels and Skills Acquired 1 Beginner A beginner is required to wear a white belt. The while belt signifies the practitioner’s will of acquiring the associated expertise. Once the beginner has managed to learn all the basic karate moves, he or she is presented with the yellow belt. At this stage, the practitioner is required to excel the 10 self-defense moves of karate. Once they manage to reach this level, the orange belt is worn by them. To move further up the ranking ladder, they will now have to practice techniques focusing on physical conditioning and rather offensive karate moves. 2 Intermediate One the students are awarded with green belts, they will now be required to acquire in-depth expertise of the practiced karate moves. On excelling, the students are presented with blue belts. At this stage, they are required to mater at least 200 diverse karate moves. If this phase is successfully mastered, then only they can move up to be presented with the brown belt.

This phase is further categorized into degree-phases. The student prevails from working for a third degree brown belt, and all the way to earning a first degree brown belt. At this point, it is expected that the student has acquired adequate level of karate expertise to depict strong mental control and body balance, while skillful performance of diverse karate moves. 3 Advanced The black belt signifies the highest rank of acquiring karate skills. Once a student is awarded with the black belt it does not necessarily mean that he or she has mastered the entire skill of karate. But, it means that the student is prepared to take on challenges of an advanced karate training. Also, once you have earned a black belt, you are awarded sub-phases within this particular phase as well. For example, a first degree black belt wearer is known as a “showdan”. This creates a drive within students to move up the expertise level for acquiring a higher degree of skill. 4 Other belt colors Colors of the belts may vary in different karate schools. Some schools use the conventional set of colors for the karate belts while the range of belts may differ for others. Some karate schools include the color purple and red in karate belts.

While some also use striped belts with varying colors. For example a white karate belt with yellow stripes indicate that the student is striving to a sub-degree of yellow belt training. Or if a student is awarded a brown belt with varying colored stripes, it indicates the sub-levels of training within the brown belt training phase. 5 Time needed to complete each phase of training Generally, it takes from 8 to 18 months of training time for completing a single phase in karate. This time varies with weekly training time. For example, if a student is training once a week, more time will be taken to complete the phase. In addition, while moving up to the higher levels, more time is taken by the student for completion of each advanced phase. 6 Common karate belts colors in order The karate belts in order may vary in martial arts and karate schools. Some of the common orders are as follows: White, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red, brown, black. White, red, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, black.

White, yellow, green, orange, red, blue, purple, brown, black Meaning of the Colors as Explained by World Martial Arts Center During the period of the Second World War, the belts were simply dyed to a darker shade of color, for indication of moving ahead with the ranking system of karate expertise. Dying the belt, which may be one tone darker than before, meant that the student has successfully developed adequate karate tactics in order to advance onto a higher degree. White belt: A white belt symbolizes the birth of a new life. Or a new seed planted in the snow. It signifies the ability of the student for undertaking a new challenge in life in terms of acquiring karate skills. Yellow belt: yellow belt depicts the first rays of sunlight. It symbolizes the student’s mind, which is now more open to following instructions. Orange belt: Orange belts represents the expansion of sunrays of the earth. It shows how the student’s knowledge is expanding. Green belt: green belt symbolizes the penetrating roots and stems of the plant reaching towards the sun. It also indicates development of skills and techniques. Blue belt: Blue belt signifies the tallness and expansion of the plant towards the blue sky.

In a student, it showcases his depth in skillful knowledge and understanding. Purple belt: the purple belt signifies that the student in moving towards the acquisition of a black belt through a strong dedication. Brown belt: a brown belt represent the maturity level in the student. It is symbolized as a plant, which has grown to a full bloom and ready to be harvested. Red belt: The red belt signifies depth of knowledge and abilities that have been conserved in the student’s mind. Black belt: Black belt indicates the dark shadows behind the light of the sun. It indicates an indispensable treasure of knowledge and enlightenment within the student’s mind. How to Tie a Karate Belt 1 Fold the belt into half, with the tag of the belt hanging on the right side and place the middle of the belt on to your belly. 2 Now wrap the belt around your waist, making a cross at the back and bringing the even-length ends in the front. 3 By making sure that the tagged end is placed in the front, overlap the ends over your belly. 4 Without tangling the belt, you have to fold the top under the belt and pull both ends. 5 Make a loop by bending the left end of the belt, and then fold the tagged end within the loop.

6 Pull the ends with a firm grip to tighten the loop, to achieve a cookie-shapes look. ANY IDEAS ABOUT THIS TOPIC? Please Log In or add your name and email to post the comment. NAME: Color of the Belt creating a table for images THE COLOR OF THE BELT A Commentary By Maurice Msarsa (40+ years Isshinryu) In the martial arts, the color of the belt is usually a measure of a person�s expertise. The color white indicates a novice�a beginner. As the knowledge of the trainee expands, the tint of the belt changes. Through the kyu ranks, different dojos and/or systems award such colors as yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, and others in advance of the black belt. Many of the people that go through those stages believe that they reached the pinnacle when they are awarded the black belt. In reality they are at the very early stages of grasping the knowledge and philosophies of the martial arts. After the award of the 1st degree (sho dan) black belt, the karate ka could potentially advance up to the 10th dan.

Current Isshinryu tradition awards the title �master� to 6th thru 8th dan black belts and the honor to wear the red/white belt. The 9th and 10th dan black belts are recognized as �grandmasters� and wear the red belt. When I first signed up at Master Harold Long�s Isshinryu dojo there were very few black belts around. Master Long had a red/white belt. He preferred to wear his black belt while instructing on the floor. He later changed to the red/white belt, and eventually the red belt. When Master Shimabuku visited the dojo, and as THE GRANDMASTER of Isshinryu, he wore the red belt. At that time in the history of Isshinryu there was one red belt grandmaster in the world. There also was one red/white belt in each of the regions where Isshinryu was taught. Today, some fifty years after the birth of Isshinryu, that is a different story. At dojos and at tournament functions we see numerous red and red/white belt holders. Most of these individuals earned their rank and title, and (based on current tradition) the right to wear these belts.

Is it time to re-visit the �color of belts� subject? Are colored belts necessary? What other disciplines (besides the martial arts) uses such a grading to differentiate levels of knowledge or levels of expertise? The military utilizes �rank� to denote level of responsibility and authority. In the martial arts, the white through brown for the kyu ranks is proper. The black belt is proper. However, are the red or the red/white belts necessary for all the 6th thru the 10th dans? Is wearing a black belt enough? Some martial arts associations require all dan ranks to wear black belts only�no red/white or red. Is it proper to tell the high rank dans that they should only wear black belts and no red or red/white belts? Now let�s visit the �master� and �grandmaster� titles. It is acceptable in our society for individuals that excel in a profession or a skill to be called a master of that particular skill. However, a grandmaster denotes a one-of-a-kind�top of the pinnacle designation. In educational institutions the titles of masters and headmasters are used.

Should we, or even could we, consider one person (that is accepted by the masses) as THE GRANDMASTER OF ISSHINRYU? When Grandmaster Tatsuo Shimabuku was alive, he was that person. Some people would argue that his son Kichiro was chosen by him to be his heir, and is now the Grandmaster. Mr. Long, and many others, did not support that claim; and as such, Okinawa is no longer considered to be the central point of leadership for Isshinryu. At the present, we have numerous 10th and 9th Dans in Isshinryu. These individuals earned that rank over their three or four decades in Isshinryu. Each individual is acknowledged as �A grandmaster�. The question is��Just how many grandmasters can/or should we have?� As stated earlier, is it possible for us to elect (or choose) one person to serve as THE grandmaster of Isshinryu? That process has worked for centuries in Rome when the need arose!!!! Is there such a person that the majority of the Isshinryu family would support? In my opinion there are some individuals that can provide that leadership and prominence to that role.

However, without a central point of leadership, this probably would never happen. If it does happen, then with one grandmaster, all the rest would be masters. Those who wish to be more than a master can call themselves �headmasters�. At this time I would like to tell this story about one of my promotions under Mr. Long. That was the move from 5th dan to 6th dan. In his humorous way, Mr. Long had arranged for a seamstress to sew two small size red/white belts together to get one belt to fit me. On the day of promotion everyone was supposed to be at the dojo at 6 pm. I was in Chattanooga that day. I left early enough to be at the dojo on time. However, I ran into heavy traffic that caused me to arrive at the dojo at 6:15. That was in time to see Mr. Long tear my certificate, do a short lecture on not being on time, and wrap a belt on another deserving person. Mr. Long gave me the cold shoulder for the rest of the evening. A few days later, when Mr. Long thought it was proper, he awarded me a new certificate and belt.

Personally, I wear a black belt when working out or instructing on the floor. Out of respect for the red and red/white belt holders, I have worn the red/white or red belt at tournament functions. I would be supportive to the idea of one person being THE Grandmaster of Isshinryu, and of an agreement that recommends all black belt dans wear black belts only. ISSHINRYU� ONE HEART table has been created and populated with pictures How to Identify Karate Belts: 7 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow How to Identify Karate Belts Community Q&A Modern students of karate display their rank by a system of different colored belts, or obi. As students advance in their training, they swap out their previous belt for one of a new color to signify their progress. Each karate style has its own ranking system and within those are variations between organizations and even individual dojo. However, there are some general rules one can learn to get a better idea of what a particular karate belt may mean. Steps 1 Start with a white belt. Martial artists did not adopt the colored belt system until the 20th century, and it's common for each school to use its own variation.

[1] Almost every school starts the beginners with a white belt. A karate student begins at 10th kyu (student rank). 2 Move up to yellow belt. If students train regularly, they get to take a test every few months to progress to the next kyu. At certain milestone ranks, the student gets a new belt. Yellow is usually the second belt a student wears, at 8th kyu. [2] 3 Advance through darker and darker belts. This is the part that varies the most between schools. In general, students spend their first year advancing to darker and darker belts. A typical progression is orange (around 7th kyu), green, blue, and purple (around 4th kyu). Many schools use a slightly different order, or one fewer color. [3] 4 Complete kyu advancement with brown belt. The highest ranking in the kyu system is almost always the brown belt. The student typically earns this around 3rd kyu, and continues to wear it as they advance to 1st kyu. The student has typically been training for over a year by the time they reach the brown belt.

Many students continue to wear the brown belt for another two years after that, although they do get to progress from 3rd kyu brown belt to 1st kyu brown belt. [4] 5 Achieve black belt. The famous black belt is a student's great achievement. Contrary to popular understanding, though, this doesn't mean the student is a master. Completing a bachelor's degree is a good analogy: a new black belt has a broad understanding and competence, and may be qualified to teach others. [5] Karate artists can still advance from this point, but the belt color remains black. They now use the dan ranking system, starting from the 1st stage (Sho Dan) and moving upward. (Note this is the opposite of the highest to lowest kyu system.) 6 Identify stripes on belts. Some schools use striped belts in addition to solid colors. These stripes typically show that a student is further along than the solid belt, but not yet to the next color. These stripes are usually either white or the next highest color in the ranking system. For example, if a student belongs to a school where the color order goes from yellow to orange, they may have a solid yellow belt.

A few months later they may attain a yellow belt with orange stripes, and eventually move on to solid orange. Some dojo signify dan levels (black belt ranks) with white or red stripes on the black belt. White or red tips or ends are also sometimes used. 7 Ask the martial artists for details. You may need to know the practitioner's home dojo to understand whether blue is higher than green, or what a more complicated system of stripes means. Also keep in mind that each school has its own requirements and standards for moving along in rank. A student considered a 7th kyu at one dojo may have actually studied longer than a 5th kyu at a different dojo. Talk to the instructors, also called sensei, who teach at the dojo to find out more. Many schools and organizations explain their ranks and belt colors on their websites. Community Q&A What are the fees to train up to a dark green belt? wikiHow Contributor It depends where you practice really. There is no set price or date when you'll finish. I'll recommend a dojo that only upgrades you once a year, not every 6 months. And it shouldn't be overly expensive. Watch out for McDojos.

Can you change the karate belt color back what you had before? wikiHow Contributor No. Getting a higher belt after you test means you are proficient or advanced in your level, and the old level can no longer contain you. You cannot move backwards. Where does a Brown Belt fall on the spectrum? wikiHow Contributor In my karate school, it's the belt before black belt, although they still need to get stripes before they become a black belt. In other systems, they don't even use the brown belt. Instead, they use the red belt. If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know. Tips One way to remember the light to dark color order is to keep in mind its possible origins in WWII-era Japan. In these times of scarcity, students may have dyed the same belt darker and darker rather than purchase a new one. Another fun story claims that the belts were never washed, and eventually turned black with grime — but this one is definitely an urban legend. [6] [7] There are dozens of different karate styles, each with its own unique organizations and traditions. Remember that belt color ranking systems vary widely between dojo.

The explanations given here are only a general guide. In World Karate Federation tournaments, competitors wear red or blue belts. These do not signify rank. [8] World Martial Arts Center - Meanings of the Belts and Sashes World Martial Arts Center The Purpose of Color Belts and Sashes The Origin of the Martial Arts Colored Belt System The martial arts colored belt ranking system was originated by Dr. Jigoro Kano, who was Japanese and known as the "Founder of Modern Judo", who first devised many of the concepts that are the foundation of Modern martial arts. Dr. Kano devised the colored belt system as a visible sign of a student’s progress, awarding the first “black belts” in the 1880's. Gichin Funakoshi, who was Okinawan and the founder of Shotokan Karate and often referred to as the "Founder of Modern Karate" adopted the belt ranking system and other organizational and philosophical concepts from Dr. Kano, who was both his contemporary and friend.

Byung Jick Ro, who is Korean and the founder of Song Moo Kwan and known as "Founder of Modern Taekwondo" was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, receiving his black belt from him in 1939, and thus, the color belt ranking system has been part of Modern Taekwondo since it was developed in the early 1940's. Dispelling an Urban Legend One common “legend” concerning the tradition of belts claims that early martial artists began their training with a white belt, which eventually became stained black from years of sweat, dirt, and blood. However, there is no real evidence for this story, so it should be relegated to the status of myth. In fact, given the standard of cleanliness common in the traditional Judo or Karate dojo, a student arriving with a bloodied or dirty uniform would probably not have been allowed to train. In some arts and schools there is the opinion that the belt should not be washed; by doing that one would "wash away the knowledge" or "wash one's ki away." This is all related to the “dirty belt” myth.

Levels of Advancement Another common misbelief that needs to be clarified is the "black belt as master" stereotype,. In reality, a black belt indicates the wearer is competent in a style's basic technique. Since in Song Moo Kwan a black belt takes approximately 2 to 4 years of training to achieve, a good intuitive analogy would be a 1st Dan Black Belt is equivalent to a college Bachelor's degree. The 1st Dan black belt is thus seen not so much as an end, but rather as a beginning, a doorway to advanced learning. The 5th Dan is “Master” in Song Moo Kwan, and can be viewed similar to a college Master’s degree, and 8th degree black belt “Grandmaster” can be seen being equivalent to a university Doctoral degree. Meaning of the Colors Originally, the white belt was simply dyed to a new color. This repeated dying process dictated the type of belt color and the order of the colors. The standard belt color system is white, yellow, gold, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, red and black. Due to the dying process, it was only practical to increasingly use darker colors.

All of this came about shortly after the Second World War, when Korea and Japan were very poor countries. Dying the belts to a new color was a cheap way to have a visible, simple and effective ranking system. White Belt: White signifies a birth, or beginning, of a seed. A white belt student is a beginner searching for knowledge of the Art. The white belt is the beginning of life's cycle, and represents the seed as it lies beneath the snow in the winter. Yellow Belt or Sash: Yellow signifies the first beams of sunlight which shines upon the seed giving it new strength with the beginning of new life. A yellow belt student is given his first ray of knowledge, opening his mind, from his instructors. Orange Belt or Sash: Orange represents the growing power of the sun as it warms the earth to prepare for new growth in the spring. The orange belt is starting to feel his body and mind open and develop. Green Belt or Sash: Green signifies the growth of the seed as it sprouts from the earth reaching toward the sun and begins to grow into a plant. A green belt student learns to strengthen and refine his techniques. Blue Belt or Sash: Blue signifies the blue sky as the plant continues to grow toward it.

A blue belt student moves up higher in rank just as the plant grows taller. The light feeds the plant so it can continue to grow. The student is fed additional knowledge of the Art in order for his body and mind continue to grow and develop. Purple Belt or Sash: Purple represents the changing sky of dawn, as once again the student undergoes a new change and prepares for the transition to advanced student. A purple belt begins to understand the meaning of the black belt. Brown Belt or Sash: Brown represents the ripening of the seed, a maturing and harvesting process. A brown belt is an advanced student whose techniques are beginning to mature, and he is beginning to understand the fruits of his hard work as a beginner. Red Belt or Sash: Red signifies the red-hot heat of the Sun as the plant continues growing toward it. As a red belt student acquires more detailed knowledge, just as the plant grows slowly toward the Sun, so the red belt student learns to be more cautious with his knowledge and physical abilities. Red is a sign of danger, and the red belt is beginning to become dangerous with their knowledge and abilities. Black Belt or Sash: Black signifies the darkness beyond the Sun.

A black belt seeks new, more profound knowledge of the Art. As he begins to teach others, he plants new seeds and helps them grow and mature. His students, many whom will form roots deep into the Art, blossom and grow through the ranks in a never-ending process of self-growth, knowledge, and enlightenment. powered by

Question: What colour belt does a beginner at karate always wear
Answer: White